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A leading payments industry news source for more than 17 years. Glenbrook curates the news and keeps you abreast of the important daily headlines in payments.
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December 9, 2025
Top Post
Holiday Gifting Going Digital: Wells Fargo Study Reveals Growing Trend
Wells Fargo
"A new Wells Fargo survey released finds younger generations are driving a major shift toward digital cash gifts and holiday tips — favoring convenience and choice over traditional wrapped presents. Insights from the consumer survey look into the ways people give holiday gifts to family and friends, and holiday tips to service workers. The findings highlight gift giving and receiving preference. The study also reveals the median gift/tip to service workers is $50. Key insights from the survey..."
On the web
Amazon Is Rolling Out New Shopping Features for Alexa+, Because of Course It Is
Engadget
"Amazon is rolling out a new price tracking feature. Tell it the product you want and how much you’re willing to pay for it. As soon as the item goes on sale for below that price, Alexa+ will automatically order it for you using your default payment method and delivery address. Another feature that Alexa+ users can start trying is a Shopping Essentials tool on Echo Show 15 and 21. You'll be able to see real-time tracking for your orders, your recent orders, household essentials that it may be time to reorder, saved items and your shopping list."
BofA Launches Enhanced Workplace Benefits Solutions for Business Owners and Their Employees
Bank of America
"Bank of America is launching an enhanced digital platform for business owners and their employees, offering greater access to a suite of retirement plans – including 401(k), IRA and more – as well as health benefit solutions and financial wellness resources. Through Bank of America Workplace Benefits, business owners can now explore affordable, easy-to-manage plans and access tools that help enable them to identify the best plan for their businesses and their employees."
Fifth Third and Brex Partner to Bring AI-Powered Finance to Businesses, Unlocking $5.6B in Commercial Card Volume
Business Wire
"Fifth Third Bank and Brex, the intelligent finance platform, nnounced a multi-year partnership that unlocks $5.6 billion in annual commercial card payment volume. Built on Brex Embedded, Brex’s proprietary API-driven payments infrastructure, the Fifth Third Commercial Card powered by Brex will become the default commercial card solution for Fifth Third Bank’s Commercial Banking clients."
Could Paper Checks Be On the Way Out, Like the Penny?
CNN
"First the penny. Next, paper checks? When the US Mint stopped making pennies last month for the first time in 238 years, it drew a lot of attention. But there have been quiet moves to stop using paper checks as well. The government stopped issuing most paper checks to recipients at the end of September, part of an effort to fully modernize federal benefits payments. And the Federal Reserve put out a notice that suggested it is considering – but only considering – the “winding down” of checking services it now provides for banks."
UPI Accounts for Nearly Half of Global Instant Payments
IBS Intelligence
"The International Monetary Fund’s recognition of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as the largest retail fast-payment system globally has reinforced the country’s position as a leader in real-time digital transactions. UPI now accounts for nearly half of instant payments worldwide, underscoring the scale, interoperability, and accessibility that the platform has achieved over the past seven years."
How Retailers Use Fintech to Hedge Currency Risk
Retail Times
"Retailers in the United Kingdom are increasingly facing currency exposure as they sell through international e-commerce marketplaces. Revenues are frequently received in United States dollars or euros, while most operational costs are incurred in pounds. Financial technology tools are now used to manage this currency risk, providing real-time visibility, multi-currency capabilities and automated hedging functions. These tools are becoming more accessible to retailers of all sizes."
SEC Confirms 2026 Rollout of Tokenization ‘Innovation Exemption’
Banking Exchange
"The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has outlined new details for ‘Project Crypto’, confirming that a dedicated innovation exemption for crypto companies will come into force in January 2026. The exemption will allow eligible firms to issue tokens without full SEC registration, granting temporary regulatory relief through a controlled sandbox. Under the proposal, qualified firms will be able to trial certain blockchain-based services and tokenized products within the sandbox, particularly those linked to decentralized finance."
On the wires
Aspire Launches Fast, Low-Cost International Payments in Hong Kong, Expanding Partnership With Wise Platform
PR Newswire
"Aspire, the all-in-one finance platform for modern businesses, is taking its mission to build a truly connected financial ecosystem further with the launch of fast, low-cost international payments in Hong Kong. Powered by Wise Platform, Wise's global payment infrastructure for banks and enterprises, the new integration enables customers to send money in more than 40 currencies, including to countries like Singapore, the United States, Australia, Japan and Korea — directly from the Aspire platform."
December 8, 2025
On the web
Ethiopia: Ethswitch Nears Launch of International Card Payment Connectivity Pending NBE Approval
2Merkato
"Ethswitch, the entity responsible for operating Ethiopia’s national payment system infrastructure, has reached the final phase of integrating its domestic card schemes with 32 international card networks through a partnership with the Discover Global Network. The integration includes India’s rupee-based payment network and is pending regulatory clearance to begin operations."
Visa to Start Operations in Syria Under New Payments Framework
IBS Intelligence
"Visa is preparing to re-enter the Syrian market following an agreement with the Central Bank of Syria to develop a national digital payments framework and restore international connectivity to the country’s financial system. The partnership marks the first major move by a global payments company to engage with Syria since sanctions and geopolitical isolation disconnected the nation from global banking networks more than a decade ago."
South Korea Plans Stricter Rules for Crypto Exchanges
Tech In Asia
"South Korea’s government is planning stricter rules on cryptocurrency exchanges after a recent hack at Upbit, a Seoul-based exchange run by Dunamu. Authorities want to introduce bank-level, no-fault compensation, requiring exchanges to cover user losses from hacks or system failures, regardless of fault. This standard currently applies only to banks and electronic payment firms in Korea. The move follows a November 27 breach that reported 44.5 billion won (US$30.1 million) in Solana-based coins moved from Upbit to external wallets in under an hour."
TenPay Global and Mastercard Collaborate to Enable Fast and Secure Remittances to Weixin Pay
Mastercard
"TenPay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, and Mastercard Move, Mastercard’s money movement business, have announced a collaboration to facilitate fast, secure and transparent digital remittances directly to Weixin Pay, a leading mobile payment service within the Weixin ecosystem in China. Through Mastercard Move, eligible senders around the world will be able to send salaries and family support directly to Weixin Pay Wallet Balance or linked bank cards in Weixin Pay."
Big Firms Bet on Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Payments
Atlanta Fed
"Agentic AI has the potential to reshape the payments landscape. It refers to autonomous systems that can work together toward a goal. They learn to make decisions that spark actions and adapt to situations based on their programming and data gathering. So, is this technology a significant improvement for the US payment system, or is it accelerating an already complex system of payments innovation?"
Socure Acquires Qlarifi, Establishing the First Real-Time BNPL Credit System
Business Wire
"Socure announced it has acquired Qlarifi, the first real-time Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) consumer credit database. The combination establishes the industry’s first unified identity, anti-fraud, and BNPL credit infrastructure. This enables consumers to build credit responsibly through BNPL repayment, reduces first party fraud losses for lenders and merchants by up to 70 percent, while providing the transparency regulators have been seeking as BNPL becomes one of the fastest growing forms of credit globally."
N3XT Launches First Fully Blockchain-Powered Bank for Instant, Programmable B2B Payments
Business Wire
"N3XT, a new bank built on blockchain technology to leverage break-through innovation in finance, officially launched, enabling clients to make instant, programmable business-to-business payments in U.S. dollars any hour of the day. N3XT identified the pain points of traditional banking and applied the lessons of the crypto industry to remove friction in the global payment system."
Worldline Announces the Contemplated Divestment of Its Payments Orchestration Platform PaymentIQ to Incore Invest
Worldline
"The disposal of PaymentIQ marks a further step in Worldline’s strategic refocus on core European payment activities. This transaction will simplify operations, optimise resource allocation, and enable increased management focus on core payment activities for merchants and financial institutions. Proceeds will strengthen the Group’s financial profile, enhance strategic flexibility in the medium term, and support redeployment of capital towards core activities."
December 5, 2025
Top Post
Federal Reserve Board Requests Public Input on the Impact of Potential Strategic Changes to Check Services Provided by the Fed
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
"The Federal Reserve Board requested public input on the impact of potential strategic changes to check services provided by the Fed, as well as check usage and preferences. Over time, check use has steadily declined, digital payment methods have grown in availability and use, and check fraud has risen. Also, the Reserve Banks will need to make substantial investments in their check infrastructure to continue providing the same level of check services going forward."
On the web
IMF: Understanding Stablecoins
International Monetary Fund
"Stablecoins, a type of crypto asset, have seen significant growth and attention recently. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of stablecoins. It discusses market developments, use cases, potential benefits, associated risks, and the evolving international regulatory landscape. Stablecoin issuance has doubled over the past two years, driven by their use in crypto trades."
Proposed Rules from the Bank of England to Regulate Systemic Stablecoins
Mayer Brown
"This update explains the Bank of England’s proposed regime for regulating sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoin issuers and payment system operators (and other service providers recognised as systemic in the supply chain) as set out in its consultation paper issued on 10 November 2025; in particular its impact on banks and other participants in wholesale financial markets."
England Enacts Law Recognizing Digital Assets as Property
Ledger Insights
"The Property (Digital Assets, etc) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent, creating a new category of property under English law. Digital assets such as cryptocurrency did not fit neatly into existing laws, resulting in the courts creating a new category, which is now recognized in the legislation. If an asset is not recognized as property, it becomes tricky to recover the asset if it’s stolen or enforce ownership rights."
Education: Regulated Payment Stablecoins Become a Reality in the U.S.
St Louis Fed
"The Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act was signed into law June 18, establishing a regulatory framework for the issuance and transaction of payment stablecoins in the U.S. The law goes into effect 18 months after enactment (December 2026) or 120 days after the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) issue final regulations, whichever is earlier. What Is a Payment Stablecoin?"
On the wires
Klarna Launches Premium and Max Memberships in the U.S., Offering Lounge Access and Premium Perks Without Spending Requirements
Business Wire
"Klarna has expanded its membership program with the introduction of Premium and Max plans for U.S. consumers, building on its existing Core and Plus plans and following successful launches in the UK and EU. The U.S. debut offers an alternative to the traditional credit card model. Klarna's memberships deliver premium perks, including airport lounge access, travel insurance, and lifestyle subscriptions, without taking on debt or hitting a spending requirement."
December 4, 2025
Top Post
Circle Collaborates with Pismo and Visa to Launch Vietnam’s First AI-Powered PayLater Card
Visa
"Visa and Pismo today jointly announced a strategic collaboration with Circle Asia Technologies, a pioneering credit-led neobank in Southeast Asia, to unlock credit for millions in Vietnam. This will enable Circle to launch the nation’s first truly AI-powered PayLater card aiming to set new standards for transparency, personalization, and user experience in the financial industry. Scheduled for a phased rollout in early 2026, the card is being engineered to dismantle the barriers that have led to Vietnam’s low credit card penetration."
On the web
A November to Remember: The Clearing House Networks Shatter Records as Digital Payments Surge Nationwide
The Clearing House
"The CHIPS®, EPN®, and RTP® networks all posted record-breaking results in November, underscoring the advantages banks gain from utilizing the payment systems operated by The Clearing House – from CHIPS’ unmatched intraday liquidity savings, to instant settlement and 24/7 availability through the RTP network, to EPN’s capacity for high-volume, recurring payments. Together, these new records highlight the rapid growth of digital payments in the U.S. and the accelerating shift toward efficient, resilient, and modern electronic payment rails across the U.S. banking sector."
How Will AI Agents Pay Each Other Using the X402 Payments Protocol
CFOtech Asia
"Long before anyone imagined AI assistants buying things on our behalf, the internet quietly reserved an error code for online payments. "HTTP 402: Payment Required" was included in early web standards in the 1990s, intended for future digital commerce. For decades it remained unused – a forgotten code akin to the famous 404 "Not Found" page. Developed as an open standard with input from major tech and finance firms, x402 turns the old 402 error into a feature: a way for machines to negotiate payment."
International Takedown of Cryptocurrency Fraud Network Laundering Over Eur 700 Million
Europol
"The final actions in a sweeping international operation have successfully dismantled a large-scale cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering network that had laundered over EUR 700 million. Coordinated across multiple jurisdictions, these actions, carried out last month and earlier this week, mark the culmination of years of investigation and the effective disruption of a criminal operation that spanned Europe and beyond."
Worldline Partners With Fipto to Enable Next Generation of Payments Rails With Stablecoin
Worldline
"Worldline and Fipto, a European fintech providing stablecoin payment infrastructure, announced a strategic partnership to explore how stablecoins can enhance settlement and payment services across Europe. Through collaboration and innovation, Worldline and Fipto are helping build the payment infrastructure Europe needs for the digital economy ahead."
On the wires
MoneyGram and Fireblocks Partner to Supercharge Global Treasury Management Using Stablecoins and Real-Time Payments
PR Newswire
"MoneyGram has partnered with Fireblocks, the infrastructure platform securing more than $5 trillion in digital asset transfers annually. The collaboration will further advance stablecoin-based settlement and multi-asset treasury operations across MoneyGram's retail and digital footprint, enabling faster, lower-cost payments and real-time treasury operations throughout its network."
Trulioo Joins Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to Help Build Trust in Agent-Led Payments
Business Wire
"Trulioo announced it has joined Google's Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) initiative to help securely initiate and transact agent-led payments across platforms. This move deepens Trulioo’s collaboration with Google, which leverages the Trulioo Global Identity Platform for Know Your Customer (KYC) verification across its payments organization, including fraud prevention and abuse mitigation."
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